The Bell/Boeing V-22 tiltrotor is a revolutionary, vertical and short take-off and land (V/STOL), multi-purpose aircraft with excellent high-speed cruise performance. This advanced technology rotorcraft performs a wide range of V/STOL missions as effectively as a conventional helicopter, while equally capable of achieving the long-range cruise efficiencies of a twin turbo prop aircraft. Within this challenge, the Joint Services (USMC, USN, USAF, USA) specified in detail the operational requirements of the V-22. The joint requirement defined missions, airframe size constraints, payload handling, and other operational capabilities required to meet the needs of all the U.S. Military.win turboprop aircraft.

Six Full Scale Development (FSD) airframes of the V-22 (i.e. prototypes) were produced, c/n D0001 - D0006; only five were fully completed, the sixth never having its wings mated was used for ground live fire ballistics tests at NAWC China Lake. Twelve additional airframes assigned BuNos 164389 - 164400 were cancelled and never built.

The tiltrotor aircraft is manufactured under a 50-50 strategic alliance between Bell Helicopter and Boeing. As of 2011, the V-22 Osprey program of record calls for 360 aircraft for the US Marine Corps, 50 for the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) and 48 for the US Navy.